


thin ice that i'm treading

by redstrings



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Andrew Minyard Has Feelings, Canon Compliant, Clubbing, Eden's Twilight, Established Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard, Established Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Introspection, M/M, Making Out, POV Andrew Minyard, Soft Neil Josten, Very minimal angst, andrew is whipped, renee talks some sense into him
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:00:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25630939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redstrings/pseuds/redstrings
Summary: “But I’m not saying your relationships are all the same, not at all! What I mean is that even if you each show your affection and express your care for your partners in your own ways, the purpose of it...the driving force behind all your actions...that’s what makes it similar. Perhaps it’s because all of you are...yearning for something? Something that you, Aaron, and Nicky found in them after being deprived of it for so long.”Andrew fights back a retort at that, almost telling Renee that her claim is obviously false for the sole reason that she implied that Andrew isyearning.
Relationships: Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Comments: 6
Kudos: 178





	thin ice that i'm treading

**Author's Note:**

> This is pretty much self indulgent,,, combine my urge to see Andrew's POV regarding his feelings for Neil, and my urge to see them dancing at Eden's, and you get this fic.
> 
> Title is from Love Me Less by MAX ft. Quinn XCII. The lyrics scream andreil to me tbh, so go give it a listen!!

Midterms week had just finished. This means a night out at Eden’s Twilight for the Foxes, who were keen on celebrating and letting off some tension from the week.

Back then Eden’s Twilight was only Andrew’s lot’s go-to place, but recently the upperclassmen have been joining them more frequently. While Andrew’s lot still go there often by themselves as per their tradition, the presence of the rest of the team during some of the visits was not unwelcome. None of them would ever admit it, but they all look forward to these gatherings. It took Andrew a while to warm up to the idea of the upperclassmen joining them, but once he did it was like the rest of the team collectively felt relieved. It became natural now for any of them to mention going to Eden’s, and the rest would agree and get ready.

This time, it was by Allison and Nicky’s initiative, talking about how _exams are over guys, let’s get wasted and enjoy the weekend before we get subjected to more brain torture on Monday_. It didn’t take much to convince the others to go, even Andrew and Neil, and so that night they all piled into Matt’s truck and Andrew’s Maserati and drove to their destination.

A few hours and a couple rounds of drinks later, wasted they were indeed.

Currently the only ones left that are still somehow sober are Andrew, Neil, and Renee. Dan and Matt are practically grinding on each other on the dance floor, while Allison and Nicky are trying (and failing) to gossip about anything in hushed voices, as hushed as their inebriated states would allow. Aaron and Katelyn, who was also invited to join them for the night, are situated by the wall on the other side of the club, with Aaron whispering in Katelyn’s ear as the cheerleader giggles. Kevin, as usual, is losing himself in the beat of the club music, dancing without a care for anyone who sees him.

Neil stands up from the table and meets Andrew’s eyes. “I’m gonna go over to Kevin, someone’s gotta stop that idiot from doing something he’ll regret.”

Andrew just nods and Neil walks away, leaving him, Renee, Allison, and Nicky at the table.

“Make sure to take a video if he does something stupid!” Allison calls out after his retreating back, and Neil turns back to grin and send a thumbs up.

Andrew leans back on his chair, downing a shot and closing his eyes as the warmth of the alcohol glides down his throat. He opens his eyes and lets himself focus on Neil, tuning out anything and everything else. Neil tends to have that effect on him, although he hates to think about it. Hates how Neil manages to catch him off guard by being so kind and considerate and understanding, hates the way his insides churn with a feeling he can’t identify whenever they’re together and Neil goes soft, vulnerable and open and trusting, a side he only ever shows to Andrew.

He _hates_ Neil Josten with everything in him.

The sound of metal scraping against the floor fortunately tears him away from his thoughts before he could go any deeper, and he turns his head to see Renee sitting down on the chair previously occupied by Neil. He raises an eyebrow at her and she responds with a small smile.

“Have you ever thought about getting wasted?”

Andrew almost scoffs at the ridiculous question, but decides to humor her nonetheless. “All the time. I just never let myself reach that point because I drive. Also, someone has to watch over these idiots.”

Renee hums, eyes twinkling. “What about Neil? Has he ever gotten wasted?”

Memories from the first time they brought Neil to Columbia flash in Andrew’s mind, back when he was still suspicious and wary, but he dismisses the thoughts as quickly as they came and offers a slight shrug. “Maybe once, in my presence. Can’t say for sure if he did before he arrived at Palmetto.”

Renee hums again, and Andrew turns back his attention to the dance floor. Kevin is flailing his arms around, and appears to be trying to get Neil to dance along with him, but the latter just keeps shaking his head with a teasing grin. Andrew huffs in amusement while watching Kevin pout and whine like a petulant child at Neil’s refusal.

As if sensing the stare on him, Neil’s eyes flit to Andrew, and the grin on his expression softens into a shy smile. Andrew keeps his face impassive and neutral, but nonetheless warmth floods his entire body against his will (and this time it’s not the alcohol). He catches Neil’s lips moving and squints as he tries to decipher what the other is saying despite the dim yet flashing lights of the club and the distance between them.

 _Staring_ , Neil mouths at him.

Andrew ignores the sharp tug at his heart and opts to scowl as hard as he can instead of replying, hoping that Neil sees it. It seems that he does because Neil shakes his head again, but this time the action is laced with palpable fondness. Andrew hates him.

He hears a chuckle beside him and turns to Renee, who seems to have witnessed the quick exchange and is currently studying him with an unreadable expression.

“What?”

“Nothing, it’s just...you three cousins have a lot in common, you know?”

Andrew looks at Nicky taking dozens of pictures with Allison and even Neil, then at Aaron but he quickly glances away when he sees his twin making out with Katelyn against the wall. He levels a pointed look at Renee after, conveying a silent question. _The fuck kind of commonality are you seeing?_

“Your fierce loyalty to your partners, for one,” Renee says. “Of course, loyalty is important in every relationship, but with you three...you take it to a whole new level. And it’s not a bad thing at all, don’t get me wrong. But observing you, and the way you interact with your partners...it’s obvious there’s something different than the usual relationships you commonly see.”

“Well we’re not exactly a normal bunch now are we,” Andrew deadpans. “And why the sudden talk? As far as I’m concerned my next session with Dobson is in five days.”

She smiles apologetically. “I’ve been told that sharing lots of observations and thoughts about random things is a tendency of mine whenever I do drink and feel tipsy. I’m sorry if it came off as intrusive in any way.”

It’s not so intrusive as it is unsettling, Andrew thinks to himself. The mere idea of having something in common with Aaron and Nicky, and concerning their “relationships” as Renee puts it, makes him feel on edge. While his twin and his cousin may call what they have with Katelyn and Erik respectively a “relationship”, he never thought of using that word at all to describe what he and Neil have.

He’s spent so long convincing himself at first that what they have was nothing, that Neil was nothing. When Baltimore happened, Andrew realized that maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t nothing after all. It terrified him, the surge of emotions and heat he felt during that time which only receded when he finally saw the redhead, bruised and burned. It’s part of the reason why he didn’t have the energy to speak to Neil at first when they got back to Palmetto; he was too busy having internal conflicts and reevaluations as to what exactly Neil Josten meant to him and what he was going to do about it. And when Aaron had confronted him, making him choose between removing their deal or breaking whatever he had with the striker, that was when he knew he was fucked. Because try as he might to keep telling himself and Neil that this was nothing, it is absolutely far from the truth, and Neil knows that too.

He hates that about Josten too, hates the fact that he understands exactly what Andrew means beneath all the blunt remarks, declarations of hate, and percentages.

But can their _this_ really be labelled something as basic as a relationship? All that they have been through, all the secrets and rooftop meetings and _yes or no_ ’s, all the ugly things they opened up to each other, all the late night drives and silent conversations and promises to stay...can all those really be boxed into a word so mundane, so overused?

Andrew may not have the proper word to describe it, but what he is sure of is that what he and Neil have is more than a relationship. It goes way beyond that, far more unique than anyone could comprehend. With that trail of thought, he has no idea how that could be considered anywhere near the same as the other two pairs.

Curious as to what Renee has to say though, he takes one of the two remaining shot glasses from the table and downs the contents. He offers the other glass to Renee, but she declines. Andrew shrugs and takes the shot himself before speaking. “What makes you think that Neil and I are remotely similar to Aaron and Katelyn and Nicky and Erik? I’m not sure what you see whenever you look at us, but last I checked Neil is far from the personality of the cheerleader or Erik, and I sure as hell am not like my cousin. Physical appearance might be the only thing I would ever have in common with my brother.”

“Well, Katelyn and Neil do have some similar characteristics if you really think about it,” Renee muses. At Andrew’s narrowed eyes she arches an eyebrow and raises her hands up in surrender. “But I’m not saying your relationships are all the same, not at all! What I mean is that even if you each show your affection and express your care for your partners in your own ways, the purpose of it...the driving force behind all your actions... _that’s_ what makes it similar. Perhaps it’s because all of you are...yearning for something? Something that you, Aaron, and Nicky found in them after being deprived of it for so long.”

Andrew fights back a retort at that, almost telling Renee that her claim is obviously false for the sole reason that she implied that Andrew is _yearning_.

Because Andrew doesn’t yearn, not anymore, not since the last time he did that and consequently lost everything he was desperately holding on to.

He had come to accept some time ago that him and Neil’s _this_ was something that he plans on having for as long as he can, but that doesn’t mean that he’s longing for something. Andrew Minyard doesn’t do longing, or yearning, or anything of the sort. As much as Andrew likes Renee and appreciates her company and support, she’s wrong with this one. She doesn’t know anything.

Not bothering to grace her with a reply after that, Andrew stands up and heads towards the bar for another round of shots. While waiting, he sits on a barstool and drags a lazy glance around the club, catching glimpses of the other teammates before his gaze settles back on his boyfriend, who was now joined by Allison and Nicky. Kevin is making an absolute fool of himself on the dance floor whilst the other three laugh at him, Allison holding her phone out to capture this moment which she will surely use as blackmail the following day. Neil looks very relaxed, finally loosened up after the particularly stressful week. It’s a rare sight, Neil feeling comfortable enough to let his guard down just a bit in a public place in order to enjoy the company of the Foxes.

Neil’s auburn hair looks brighter under the fluorescent multicolored lights. Strobes of red, blue, green, and purple illuminate his face, emphasizing his sharp features and making them look sharper. Clad in an outfit he bought during a mall trip with Allison—a maroon V-neck shirt and black ripped skinny jeans that brings out his muscular thighs—paired with the armbands Andrew had given him, Neil looks too fine for his own good. Andrew’s breath hitches as he drags his gaze down the length of Neil’s body and back up, and it takes a lot of willpower not to suddenly march over there and kiss the other man senseless. There are times when Neil is too oblivious to notice how attractive he really is, but there are also times wherein he is indeed aware of how riled up Andrew gets because of him, and Neil makes the most of that advantage whenever he can. Tonight, Andrew thinks Neil falls into the latter instance, if the hooded gazes, winks, and smirks that the striker kept giving him throughout the evening were anything to go by.

His junkie knows too much of his quirks and how to use it against him, and the smug look he gets when he knows Andrew is affected by him is downright insufferable.

When the tray of new shots is placed on the bar counter, Andrew nods in thanks at the bartender and takes it back to their table. He barely sat down before Kevin was already bounding to the table, ignoring the shot glasses and reaching straight for the bottle of vodka. Andrew grips Kevin’s wrist before he could grab it, for which he gets an annoyed grunt in return. Kevin scowls at him as he pulls his hand away and takes two shot glasses instead, drinking them with no pause or hesitation whatsoever. He places the now empty glasses back on the tray and glares at Andrew, who just looks back at him with the usual bored expression. The lack of reaction makes Kevin huff indignantly, turning on his heels and melting back into the crowd on the dance floor once again.

Kevin is such a child sometimes. How the Foxes managed to put up with him for this long is beyond Andrew.

Now that he’s back at the table, he has a closer view of the people on the dance floor, so he follows Kevin with his eyes until he reaches the other three teammates he was with, and—

Well, fuck.

Neil is _dancing_.

Not in Kevin’s dance style consisting of flailing limbs and enthusiastic shakes of the hips, and definitely not in the smooth, seductive way most of the people there are doing, but dancing nonetheless.

Even from a bit of a distance Andrew can see that Neil obviously looks confused, moving hesitantly and with uncertainty due to not having any experience with this type of thing. Allison and Nicky are guiding him, gesturing at him to follow their lead as they sway slowly and carefully, trying to get Neil to grow more confident with his movements. Ever the fast learner, Neil gets the hang of it in a matter of moments, relaxing even more and swinging his hips in time with the beat blasting from the club’s speakers. A grin settles on Neil’s face as Allison and Nicky whoop in triumph and dance along with him.

Andrew tries hard not to let it show that he was caught off guard. Neil never danced whenever they partied at Eden’s, always turning down Nicky’s offer to dance with him and settles instead for sitting beside Andrew and watching the others with him. But it seems he had a change of heart tonight, and with the way he’s dancing with just the right combination of casual bordering on sultry...Andrew feels his throat go dry. He takes a deep and controlled breath, reaching for a shot and swallowing it down. A ridiculous idea pops into Andrew’s brain, and in a rare bout of impulse very unlike his usual composed and collected personality, he acts upon it immediately.

God, he’s spending way too much time with Neil. Fucking junkie.

He stands up and almost slams the shot glass on the table, pretending not to notice Renee’s knowing smile from his peripheral. Though neither of them is saying anything, he knows that she has an inkling of what’s going through his mind right now.

Andrew slowly makes his way from the table to the dance floor, gaze trained on Neil, who currently has his back to Andrew while dancing. Neil must have sensed his approach with his Andrew Minyard radar or something, because he turns his head to the side and all but smirks at him over his shoulder. Not only that, but Neil also suddenly decides that it’s a good time to up his game, swaying his hips more alluringly and _dear god Andrew cannot lose his composure, not right now, fuck Josten and his antics_.

Glancing away from Neil for a second, Andrew sees Allison and Nicky gaping at him, eyes widened and pure shock written across their faces. He jerks his head to the side, and fortunately the two get the message, blinking a few times before scrambling to leave them alone, dragging Kevin along with them. However, he doesn’t miss the quick winks sent his way.

He stops when he’s practically within a hairsbreadth from Neil, pressing his chest up against his boyfriend’s back. Andrew holds his hands out, palms hovering over Neil’s hips, the question lingering between them. _Yes or no?_

“Yes,” Neil says, and Andrew’s hands settle on his hips, gripping tightly and pulling him even closer against his chest. Public displays of affection aren’t usually their thing, and during the times they do decide to indulge in it, it just consists of hand holding or an arm around the other’s shoulders or waist. Occasional kisses maybe, if they were in a secluded enough place. But this, right now, is different. They both weren’t the slightest bit drunk, but they still drank enough for the alcohol to reduce their inhibitions, making them a little less conscious and a little bit bolder. It’s the first time they show this level of intimacy in public, especially in a place as crowded as Eden’s.

Surprisingly, neither of them seems to feel too nervous or bothered about it. Andrew thought he would be terrified at the prospect of being surrounded by so many people, which might result in him pulling away from Neil. To his relief, he doesn’t feel any type of fear now, and it might be due to the fact that despite the amount of people in the club, it doesn’t press on him like he thought it would. It’s like everything else melts away and Andrew’s sole focus is on the man in front of him. It’s a public place, but private at the same time; they’re surrounded by people, but also alone in their own world. No one else matters, not even the other Foxes. Just him and Neil, pressed against each other so closely they could almost become one person.

“So you learned how to dance now, huh?” Andrew murmurs, lips brushing against Neil’s ear. He feels him shiver and lean back on his chest, and Andrew’s heart pounds. Neil tentatively places his own hands atop Andrew’s which were still holding his hips, and at the blond’s nod he presses more firmly and squeezes.

“It’s more of a crash course than anything,” Neil replies, grinning widely. “Nicky and Allison were very persistent teachers. I think I’m doing pretty well, for someone who just learned how to properly dance in a club tonight.”

Andrew snorts. “You looked like an idiot. Your dancing skills are atrocious.”

A lie. Neil obviously sees through it as well, and the annoying smirk graces his face once again.

“And yet it brought you here, didn’t it?”

“I went over here to stop you from embarrassing yourself.”

“Oh please, like you’re any better.”

Neil is playing his instigator card and challenging him, Andrew can tell. He thinks he has the upper hand and is winning the argument, but Andrew is nothing if not stubborn and petty.

“Is that a challenge, Josten?”

Neil shrugs, “Depends on how you take it.”

“Alright then,” Andrew lowly says against Neil’s ear. His deep voice causes the smirk on the other’s face to falter, and Neil practically melts, making Andrew feel smug and victorious. If Neil wants to tease him with the things he knows drives Andrew crazy, then two can play at that game.

Still retaining their current back to chest position, Andrew starts to move. He sways slowly and to the beat, moving Neil along with him. Had he not been paying his undivided attention to the redhead, he would’ve missed the barely audible gasp.

“Drew,” Neil breathes out, and for once the snarkiest and mouthiest Exy striker to date, is at a loss for words. Andrew mentally pats himself on the back for being able to do this to him, for shocking him enough to be rendered speechless. Neil’s reaction is justified, though, because this is the first time Andrew decides to dance after so many years. The last time he did this was back when he and Roland were still hooking up, and it was barely even ten minutes, because he had to get back to the bar and work. Truth be told, Andrew isn’t sure if he’s doing it correctly, but judging by the blissed-out expression Neil is wearing, it’s definitely working.

They keep dancing like that for a few minutes, and when the music changes into something more sensual and sultrier, the air between them (or what’s left of it, given the lack of proximity) shifts and becomes charged with tension. Andrew’s face is tucked in the crook of Neil’s neck, brushing his lips against it ever so softly, eliciting another full-body shiver from Neil. Not a moment later Andrew feels him push his hips back, grinding on his crotch and Andrew stills.

Neil startles when they suddenly stop and tries to twist around to check on Andrew, worried that it might’ve been a bit much for him, but then Andrew digs his fingers in the jut of Neil’s hips, preventing him from doing so.

“You’re walking a dangerous line, Josten,” Andrew growls into Neil’s neck, nipping at a specific sensitive spot and his boyfriend lets out a soft whine. Realizing that Andrew isn’t bothered at all by the bold action but rather quite the opposite, Neil relaxes again and chuckles.

“I think I’m quite the expert on walking on dangerous lines, don’t you think?”

“You are the fucking epitome of the phrase.”

“You like it. What I just did.”

“Shut up.”

They resume dancing, and by now Andrew could practically hear the Foxes whispering amongst themselves even from across the club. He’s quite sure that money is being exchanged, or if not then a bet is already most certainly placed. Neither of them could care less though, too wrapped up in each other to mind. Neil’s hand makes its way through Andrew’s hair, fingers tangling in blond locks. Andrew feels him slightly tug at his hair, and bites at his neck again in return.

Neil, being the cheeky little shit that he is, repeats his previous action of rolling his hips and pushing it back, driving Andrew absolutely insane.

They continue riling each other up for a good ten minutes until Andrew is the first one who breaks, releasing Neil’s hips and takes his hand instead. He pulls Neil behind him as he steps off the dance floor and heads to the far corner of the club, where there weren’t many people and the area is private enough.

He tugs at Neil in front of him and presses him against the wall, and his hands move to grip his hips once again. Neil has the audacity to smile at him innocently, as if he wasn’t subtly grinding on Andrew just minutes ago.

He leans in close to Neil’s face, their breaths mingling and heart rates skyrocketing. “Yes or no?”

Neil places his hands on the blond’s shoulders and leans in. “Yes.”

Kissing Neil is something Andrew never gets tired of, no matter how much and how often he does it. As he captures Neil’s lips with his own he loses himself in everything _Neil_ —his scent, the feel of his body underneath Andrew’s roaming hands, the sounds emitting from him between kisses, the way he goes pliant under Andrew’s touch. Andrew growls, biting Neil’s lower lip and using the gasp he let out as an opportunity to push his tongue in. Neil’s hands move from his shoulders up to his hair, tugging at the strands when Andrew deepens the kiss.

Andrew kisses him greedily, swallowing all his moans and sighs. He kisses him as if Neil was water and Andrew’s thirsty. He kisses him as if Neil was oxygen and Andrew can’t breathe. He kisses him as if it’s the last thing he’ll be able to do. His senses are on fire, mind racing a mile a minute and the only coherent thoughts ringing in his head are _Neil hate Neil gorgeous Neil Neil Neil mine_.

Fuck all the alcohol in the world, Andrew could get drunk off of Neil alone.

He could kiss Neil forever if it’s possible, but unfortunately breathing is still a thing and they have to pull away. They’re both panting, and Neil looks so dazed and winded, eyes glazed over. Andrew allows himself to smirk in pride. He did that.

“Wow,” Neil finally gasps out, one hand still gripping at Andrew’s hair and the other slowly rubbing at the nape of Andrew’s neck. “You’re amazing, Drew.”

Andrew closes his eyes, quelling the memories and emotions that are surfacing from the first time Neil said that to him. _Thank you. You were amazing._ A light tug at his hair makes him open his eyes, and he studies the man in front of him contemplatively.

He always knew that Neil is very attractive, but looking at him at this moment—small tufts of auburn curls falling over his face; the tiniest smattering of freckles across his cheekbones; the scars that Neil used to abhor but now has come to accept as a part of him; lips red and swollen, shaped into the content smile that often appears when he’s with his found family; icy blue eyes bright and looking at him with nothing short of raw devotion and understanding.

Andrew thinks he’s never looked more breathtaking.

Renee’s earlier words suddenly make their way at the front of his mind, nagging at him insistently. He can’t seem to shake off the implications that come with it. The possibility that he’s actually yearning for something is like an itch that doesn’t go away no matter how hard he scratches, and it annoys him to no end. Renee managed to bring out something within the recesses of his being with her statements, an emotion he had long since buried. All these years he’s built up walls, kept himself locked and guarded. Apathy, anger, and indifference stemming from his experiences became the only things he let himself feel, shutting any other emotion down before it tries to take root in Andrew’s chest.

But then Neil Josten arrived, shrouded in lies and secrets and mystery. He unknowingly clawed his way past Andrew’s carefully crafted layers, unraveling him until Andrew found himself bare, all the ugliness and destruction in him for Neil to see. When Neil saw him he really _saw him_ , not just the bored facade that he always shows. He saw Andrew’s inner turmoil and wars, and he did not look scared at all. Andrew always felt like he was walking on thin ice; one misstep and he plunges into freezing depths. Neil reached out and became the buoy that kept Andrew from drowning; became the anchor that grounds him to reality on the days where everything is too much. He knocked on Andrew’s walls, and Andrew let him in.

It’s terrifying, giving someone that much power over him. Sometimes Andrew still questions himself as to why he let himself do that, the question Neil asked him long ago burning in his core.

_After everything they did to you, how can you stand me?_

He had answered the question back then, and the answer remains true now. Neil undoubtedly accepted everything he was willing to give and never pushed him for anything more.

With startling clarity, Andrew realizes that this is it. This is what Renee meant.

He had never admitted it to himself, never even dared to entertain the thought, but now that he has Neil the realization is staring him right in the face.

What Andrew is yearning for all along is something to hold on to, something to keep for himself without the fear of it being taken away from him. He stopped yearning after everything with Cass happened, but the feeling never truly went away. It stayed buried in his chest, dormant and waiting for the right time to reappear. After years of foster parents, trauma, and strife, Andrew wanted someone who can see him for what he is, look at all his scars and broken fragments and still want to stay. Still want to understand. And Neil was exactly that for him. Neil trusted Andrew with his life, never turned away from him even when it got bad. Time and time again Neil proved that he wasn’t going anywhere, that he’ll stay for as long as Andrew lets him. Having the opportunity to choose for his own self was something Andrew was never afforded, but Neil gave it to him.

Which was why he chose Neil back then, and chooses him over anything now. Deep inside, he knows he’ll keep choosing him, over and over again until the universe itself stops him.

Andrew feels a soft squeeze on his shoulder, and his eyes snap up and see Neil tilting his head, concern reflected in his eyes. “Everything okay?”

He squeezes Neil’s hips in answer, reassuring. Neil catches the unspoken reply and smiles.

“The others are probably wondering where we are. Do you want to go back?”

Andrew thinks about it for a moment, looking around the area. He can spot their tables from a bit far away, and squints as he tries to distinguish what’s going on. He catches sight of a figure resembling Kevin knocking back a new round of shots, and what looks like Nicky, Allison, and Renee caught up in a discussion. Dan and Matt, as well as Aaron and Katelyn, were still out of sight. They could probably handle a few more minutes without Andrew and Neil.

“They’ll live,” is all Andrew says.

Neil lets out a laugh, carefree and rare, and Andrew wants to listen to it forever. “If you say so.”

Content settles in Andrew’s stomach and he feels light, most likely brought on by finally realizing and accepting yet another emotion Neil evokes from him. When Neil leans in again, Andrew meets him halfway.

Had he been the type of person who participates in the Foxes’ bets, he was sure he would be giving money to Renee after this.

**Author's Note:**

> After 2 (!!!) years I am finally back with an aftg fic. Recently I'm becoming reinvested in my book fandoms, and since I missed andreil so much I decided to write this on a whim.
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed this!! A kudos and/or comment would be greatly appreciated <3


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